According to Chabad.org, 26/11 survivor Moshe Holtzbeg and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the plans for the living memorial on Thursday. Netanyahu also unveiled a plaque in the memory of Moshe’s parents, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. This was followed by Moshe's two grandmothers lighting an “eternal flame” in remembrance of the victims.

According to an editorial in Jerusalem Post, India change in its behaviour towards Israel is due to Jerusalem's standing in the West Asia. As per the article, Indian leaders were previosuly wary of publicly supporting Israel out of fear of hurting Muslim sentiments in India. It also says that this changed when the Palestinian ambassador recently hugged LeT chief and 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan. "New Delhi has also realized that its efforts for decades to curry favor with Arab states by taking anti-Israel positions in UN votes have not paid off. [...] There was nothing new about this behavior on the part of the Palestinians and Arabs. Despite India’s willingness to support Arab-backed votes in the UN on a variety of issues, Arab and Muslim states are reluctant to reciprocate," the editorial read.

In an interview with India Today, Netanyahu said, "I don't do Yoga but I wake up in the morning and when I look to the east, the first democracy I see is India and when Mr. Modi wakes up in the morning and does his Yoga and looks left, the first democracy he sees is Israel. This is a grand partnership."

There are various accounts of this battle — all narrate the valour with which the lancers undertook the assault on the garrisoned city protected by a joint force of Ottomans, Germany and Austria-Hungary. The liberation of Haifa cleared a supply route for the Allies to the city through the sea.

Forty-four Indian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice during the liberation of the city in World War I. Till date, the 61 Cavalry celebrates September 23 as its Raising Day or "Haifa Day."

In order to deal with terrorism, the first requirement is intelligence. We share intelligence with India & many countries & we prevented dozens & dozens of major terror strikes which could have disrupted the whole international system, says Israel PM @netanyahu#NetanyahuUpfront

Speaking to Times Now, Israeli prime minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "a great patriot of India" and that he does "what is good for India."

"When he thinks about increasing vegetable production, enhancing indian security against terrorism, catapulting young Indians into future with technological know-how, I think he's thinking about what is good for India. I think he is right," said Netanyahu

India-Israel partnership is of civilisations, of two democracies: Netanyahu

"This kind of cooperation that we have, with technology on one side and agriculture on the other is so good for every aspect of life. for water, for agricultre, for security. This has statutory benefits," Benjamin Netanyahu told Times Now.

Netanyahu further added that despite their being markets, and other aspects, he saw the partnership differently. "I see it (India-Israel relations) as a partnership of civilisations, a partnership of two democracies," he said,

19:23 (IST)

Watch: India-Israel partnership is real, says Netanyahu

Speaking to Times Now on his visit to Center of Excellence for Vegetables in Gujarat, Benjamin Netanyahu said that he interacted with farmers who had had their incomes multiply because of the center. "This is tremendous. If we can have that multiplied through half of India, it means we've raised the living standards for a massive number of Indians. I mean, this partnership is real," he said.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu interacted with the leaders of Jewish community in India. Praised their contribution in preserving Jewish values & culture and for cementing India-Israel relations. pic.twitter.com/urWfGifKG0

Benjamin Netanyahu marks Moshe's height in his former Nariman House room

After Benjamin Netanyahu and Moshe Holtzberg visited Nariman House on Thursday, the Israeli prime minister shared an image of the two in one of the rooms formerly occupied by the 26/11 survivor and his parents. "I added today a mark of Moshe's height to the wall where his mother had marked his height," Netanyahu said in the tweet.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahi made a formal announcement on Thursday on the setting up of a living memorial at Nariman House, that was under siege during the 26/11 terror attacks.

According to Hindustan Times, the proposed memorial would include a small terrace garden and rooms on the fifth floor of the building where Moshe and his parents — Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg — stayed before the attack. The fourth floor is likely to be converted into a museum.

18:01 (IST)

Netanyahu says Moshe Holtzberg was unharmed during 26/11 because of his nanny's love

Israeli prime minister Benjamin said that the terrorists could not harm Moshe because of the love shown by his nanny.

"In the past, the Jewish people have witnessed a lot of challenges but with the help of God they overcame everything. The people of Israel are living and will live forever," he said at the Chabad House, or the Nariman House in Mumbai.

PTI

17:56 (IST)

Israel's official Twitter handle calls technology and entrepreneurship 'one of major engines for India-Israel partnership

One of the major engines of growth for Israel & #India's partnership is #tech & entrepreneurship. Here are some of the newest collaborations, benefiting the people 🇮🇱🇮🇳and the world as a whole: pic.twitter.com/eU5UOSr3do

The Chabad House is a unique blend of love and hatred towards the people of Israel, the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Thursday.

He was addressing people at the Chabad House, or the Nariman House, after meeting 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg whose father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed along with six others there during the 26/11 terror attacks. Moshe, then a toddler of two years, was miraculously saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel, who now lives in Israel.

"This place is a unique merge between love for Israeli people and the hatred towards the people of Israel. The nation of Israel is known for salvation," Netanyahu told the gathering in Hebrew.

The Israeli prime minister thanked Moshe for hosting him and showing him his room in the Chabad House. "Your parents showed love to the people and welcomed all to this house. They provided for every Jew a home. This is loving Israel but terrorists showed hatred towards Israel," he said.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday visited the Chabad House here along with Moshe Holtzberg, who as a two-year-old was orphaned in the carnage there during the 2008 terror attack.

Sporting the trademark Jewish small brimless cloth cap, 'Kippah,' Netanyahu was warmly welcomed by the present Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky and other officials of Chabad House in the afternoon.

The bespectacled Moshe, now 11, also sporting the 'Kippah' and a dark suit, had an emotional 'reunion' meeting with the Israel prime minister, as his Indian saviour nanny Sandra Samuel and grandparents flanked them in a small room in the Chabad House, in Nariman House, Colaba.

According to Chabad.org, 26/11 survivor Moshe Holtzbeg and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the plans for the living memorial on Thursday. Netanyahu also unveiled a plaque in the memory of Moshe’s parents, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. This was followed by Moshe's two grandmothers lighting an “eternal flame” in remembrance of the victims.

15:38 (IST)

Netanyahu meets Moshe Holtzberg at Chabad House

The Nariman House, renamed as Chabad House, was under siege during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Netanyahu, along with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, laid wreath at the memorial of the terror attack victims, that claimed 166 lives, at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai under a heavy security blanket.

The Israeli prime minister also wrote a message in the visitor's book at the place.

Netanyahu will later visit the nearby Nariman House, where he will meet 11-year-old Israeli boy Moshe Holtzberg. Moshe's father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed at the Nariman House during the 2008 attacks.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday termed his country's partnership with India as one "made in heaven", which rests on shared values of love for humanity, democracy and freedom.

Addressing the India-Israel Business Summit, Netanyahu mentioned the "deep personal friendship" he shares with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, adding that the warmth goes deeper, right up to the common man.

On the last leg of his four-day India visit, which he described as extraordinary, Netanyahu said there is a deep and abiding respect for India, it's people and culture."We are the two oldest cultures on earth. We are democracies, we share our love for freedom, and we share our love for humanity. We are truly your partners. This is a partnership made in heaven," Netanyahu said, while appealing to Indian businesses to invest in Israel.

PTI

14:47 (IST)

India-Israel business doing wonders, says Netanyahu

Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said "the business partnership between India and Israel is doing wonders" and that he has developed "a strong personal friendship" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His remarks came at a power-breakfast where he held discussions with top Indian CEOs, industrialists and bankers at the iconic Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. Among the CEOs present were Ashok Hinduja, Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej, Ajay Piramal, Harsh Goenka and Chanda Kochhar, with whom Netanyahu cheerfully interacted before getting down to breakfast-cum-business.

"The future belongs to those who innovate and it is our job to encourage you to innovate. It is very crucial for you and your Israeli counterparts to meet," Netanyahu said.

IANS

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(Image courtesy: Twitter/Froim)

14:14 (IST)

Meanwhile, Congress cries foul over 'illegal hoardings' of Netanyahu and Modi across Mumbai

With due respect to visiting #Israeli PM #Netanyahu,would remind CM @Dev_Fadnavis Who has put these illegal hoardings of both PMs all over Mumbai that High Court has banned this long ago.Does he has any moral right to stop any one in future from violating court order henceforth? pic.twitter.com/FWAS325cYW

Secret behind Israel's cyber power is being 2nd largest spender on security and IT after US: Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group

In an interaction this morning Israeli PM Netanyahu articulated the secret behind Israel’s cyber power.Israel is the 2nd largest spender on Security IT after the U.S. He viewed that as a ‘sunk cost’ & returns come from spreading that tech competence to the pvt sector. Brilliant!

Was a privilege to be invited today for breakfast by Israel PM , Netanyahu. A very dynamic and forward looking leader who is taking Indo- Israel relations to a different level. pic.twitter.com/B6VO3eDdld

Deepening ties with Israel a discernible shift from Nehruvian diplomacy

If internationalism is shared history, India and Israel were destined for amity. Both nations, however different in their geographical constituency, were carved with an intense political struggle against their hostile neighbourhood, each with a keen sense of civilizational significance in its emergence.

Although the early Zionists, such as David Ben-Gurion, were keen to woo Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru – whom they perceived to be the architects of modern India, whose support would, in turn, legitimise Israel as a political idea – the two were not convinced, inspired ideologically by the Palestinian cause and politically by the need to weld the Muslim minority into the national struggle and the postcolonial nation.

"Maharashtra is the right place to forge alliance. I look forward to many more alliances between Maharashtra and Israel," says CM Devendra Fadnavis.

"I’m sure in time to come, we will see many Israeli businesses mainly in technology and agriculture flourishing, collaborating and cooperating with Indian businesses," he adds.

13:12 (IST)

Acknowledge Jewish community's role in India's development: Fadnavis

We acknowledge the role of Jewish community in India’s journey of development. We are looking forward for more and more cooperation and engagement and wish to take this age old friendship to the next level: CM @Dev_Fadnavispic.twitter.com/4hKStoy5oJ

"The way the Jewish community has assimilated with the Indian community here is very good. India and Israel can become the best partners. A new chapter of friendship and relationship started when Modi visited Israel last year," said Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at the India-Israel Business Summit on Thursday.

"The agriculture practices used in Israel are very impressive. We are going to sign an MoU for irrigation with an Israeli firm to help sustain the water-starved regions of Maharashtra," Fadnavis added.

"India-Israel partnership is reaching unprecedented heights. This is beginning of a wonderful friendship where possibilities are boundless," says Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the India-Israel Business Summit in Mumbai.

“This is the beginning of a wonderful ancient friendship and the possibilities are boundless. We have to bring talents of India and Israel together. Fifteen countries ahead of Israel in the World Bank’s competitive index make me lose sleep. It isn’t Syria, but countries like Singapore, USA and Switzerland which make me lose sleep,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

I also visited iCreate, an impressive hub where brilliant young minds come to solve problems. I was particularly impressed with a 14-year-old boy. This was slumdog millionaire. He produces drone which goes up the sky & identifies landmines, it'll save lives: #BenjaminNetanyahupic.twitter.com/WOEMxlGKbJ

India also knows the value of competition and the glory of competition. How many of you know who won the 1983 World Cup? If you were not in London then you must be on streets honking when India defeated West Indies. That is competition: #BenjaminNetanyahu Israel PM in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/qyQxKECxB2

Benjamin Netanyahu to lay wreath at memorial for the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks

11:26 (IST)

Netanyahu to business leaders: The partnership between Israel and India is doing wonders

"It is on the level first of a deep personal friendship between Prime Minister Modi and myself," he said.

"In addition, there is a partnership of genuine sympathy between our people. And that is not obvious. Our two civilisations are very old and we have not met each other in real sense. There is an instant chemical reaction of tremendous solidarity and identification and I see it in my Facebook followers. They haven't changed the algorithm yet and I see it very very strongly. We see it when we walk the streets, the responses that we get here. And Indian citizens, when they come to Israel, they can see it. It is powerful," he said.

"So it is leaders. It is people. But I think the most important thing is to have it among business leaders and technological leaders and entrepreneurs like yourself. This is the cherry on the pie! What a cherry! I thought we will discuss the cherry," Netanyahu said.

Stating that the partnership between Israel and India is doing wonders, Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked business leaders to focus on innovation, reported PTI. "The future belongs to those who innovate," Netanyahu said in his opening remarks at a power breakfast with top corporate honchos at the iconic Taj hotel overlooking the Arabia Sea.

"It is very, very crucial today for you and your Israeli counterparts to meet up, because the future belongs to those who innovate," Netanyahu said at the first of his numerous assignments for the day as he wraps up his four-day India visit.

"We in Israel are seizing the future, you in India are seizing the future. Together, you will get there a lot quicker and also get a lot further," he said.

"Innovation doesn't happen by itself. Some of it does. But it can be nurtured, it can encouraged. It also can be discouraged. The job of governments like that of Prime Minister Modi and my own government is to facilitate your competitive advantages and ability to innovate," he said

11:14 (IST)

Netanyahu's schedule in Mumbai

In the first visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to the financial capital of India, Netanyahu will lay a wreath at the memorial for the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks.

Netanyahu will then proceed to the nearby Nariman House, where he will meet 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg. Moshe's father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed at the Nariman House during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Netanyahu will later meet around 25 to 30 members of the Jewish community at the Taj hotel.

Netanyahu will cap his hectic schedule by attending the 'Shalom Bollywood' event, in which he will invite leading actors, directors, and producers in the Indian cinema industry to come to Israel to shoot movies and collaborate with the Israeli film and television industry.

On Wednesday, Muslim organisations held protests in the city against the Israeli prime minister's visit, reported The Indian Express. “Several Muslim children have died in Jerusalem. They (Israel) are a threat to Muslims across the world. Our protest is against India forging such ties with Israel,” Mohammed Rizvi, general secretary of the Raza Academy told The Indian Express.

LATEST UPDATES: Speaking at iCreate Center in Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Israel's technology and said that innovation played a major role in bringing the people of India and Israel together.

After an eight-kilometre roadshow, Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at Sabarmati Ashram. There were no open vehicles in the roadshow cavalcade because of security concerns.

Members of the Gujarati Jewish community are waiting for the arrival of PM Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu outside Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Ashram. Around 50 stages have been erected along the stretch and people from different states will welcome Netanyahu, who is on a six-day visit to India.

Heavy security was deployed across the 14-kilometre stretch where Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to hold the roadshow. According to reports, the 14-km stretch will be heavily guarded by security forces including Israeli snipers, 12 teams from 'Chetak commandos', Quick Response Teams, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and the Gujarat Police.

Gujarat is set to roll out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives in Ahmedabad on Wednesday along with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The two leaders will hold a roadshow, which will begin from the city airport and end at the Sabarmati Ashram, a journey of eight kilometres.

Around 50 stages will be erected on the roadside along the stretch and people from different states of the country will welcome Netanyahu. The two leaders, who hit it off during Modi's visit to Israel in July last year, the first by an Indian prime minister, would visit two centres of excellence and inaugurate another such facility.

They will visit the Sabarmati Ashram, where Mahatma stayed for a long time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu at the Raisina Dialogue 2018 in New Delhi. PTI

"Around 50 stages have been built along the roadside on the eight-kilometre stretch. Cultural programmes will be performed by troupes of different states as well as ethnicity to welcome the guests," Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's standing committee chairman Pravin Patel said. "The Indian Jewish people will also welcome the two leaders," he said.

The city, especially the stretch from the airport to the Sabarmati Ashram, has been decked up to welcome Netanyahu along with his wife Sara.

Modi and Japanese premier Shinzo Abe had also held a joint roadshow during the latter's visit here in September last year. The Indian premier had shown Abe and his wife around at the Sabarmati Ashram. They had also spent some time at the Sabarmati Riverfront, developed during Modi's tenure as Gujarat chief minister.

Modi had also accompanied Chinese President Xi Jinping and his spouse to the riverfront during the latter's India visit in 2014.

"According to the tentative schedule, Modi and Netanyahu would first visit the Sabarmati Ashram on their arrival. Both the dignitaries will be accorded a grand welcome," Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani had earlier said. From the Ashram, Modi and Netanyahu would go to 'iCreate', an autonomous centre of excellence near Bavla town close to the city, Rupani said.

'iCreate' was formally launched in 2011 by Modi when he was the chief minister. The institution mentors budding entrepreneurs and guides them to set up start-ups, according to an official. The Israeli prime minister will also present Modi a special gift -- the Gal-Mobile water desalinisation and purification jeep the two leaders rode at Israel's Olga beach last year.

There will be a live demonstration of desalination of sea water that the two prime ministers will witness through video conferencing from the iCreate centre on 17 Janaury.

The jeep is said to cost around 390,000 shekels (approximately $1,11,000). The two leaders would then proceed for a Sabarkantha-based centre of excellence for agriculture established by Isreal. They will inaugurate a research facility for cultivation of dates in Kutch by remote control from Sabarkantha, the chief minister had earlier said.